A senior Iranian cleric said Friday that Qatar was guilty of "treason" against Muslims for providing the United States with an air base that could be used to strike Iraq.

Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, whose official title is Substitute Friday Prayers leader of Tehran, said in his sermon that Qatar had helped America to "impose its hegemony" on the region by allowing the U.S. military access to its al-Udeid air base.

"America is going to use the soil of a Muslim country to kill the Iraqi people, spread its overall domination over Iraq and from there throughout the region," Jannati declared. "Qatar is committing treason against all Muslims."

Jannati heads the powerful Guardian Council, which approves candidates for elections, reviews parliamentary acts. He urged Muslims in the region and statesmen to prevent the US strike against Iraq. In his sermon to thousands of Friday prayers worshipers, Jannati said, according to IRNA, "All should feel the danger; it is a danger which will bring

about humiliation, misery, poverty, backwardness and thousands of calamity and sufferings for all."

Jannati harshly criticized the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) for its performance vis-a-vis the Iraqi crisis. "Hasn't been the philosophy of the establishment of the OIC defending the world of Islam? Why Qatar, which is now chairing the OIC, has taken the worst stance vis-a-vis the US attack on Iraq and allows the US set up a base?" asked Jannati.

The Guardian Council secretary attacked certain states that "ignorantly and foolishly" had paved the way for US entry to the Persian Gulf to liberate Kuwait from under Iraqi occupation in 1991. The clergy also blamed the states for preparing the ground for US military build up in the region in the period.

Jannati said the same states have provided the pretext for military presence of the US in Iraq and other regions. (Albawaba.com)